Synopses & Reviews
Social Contract takes up an argument which had begun with Bodin and Hobbes, and been continued by Grotius, Spinoza, and Locke to form the foundation of political thinking in the eighteenth century.
The Social Contract is a work of consummate rhetorical skill; but it is also a prolonged sleight of hand in which what is most questionable is carefully hidden behind the magnificent flourishes of the prose.
Synopsis
Published in 1762, Rousseau's thinking is still relevant in these modern times. He believed that all citizens of a state fundamentally have a natural power of equality. This is the 'social contract' between the citizens of a state. Rousseau writes about liberty and law, freedom and justice. A declaration of democratic principles. A Collector's Edition.
Synopsis
This volume brings together three of Rousseau's most important political writings--The Social Contract and The First Discourse (Discourse on the Sciences and Arts) and The Second Discourse (Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality)--and presents essays by major scholars that shed light on these texts.
About the Author
Roger Scruton is a writer, philosopher, and public commentator who specializes in political and cultural thought. His insights on Rousseau's
Social Contract are excellent spurs to further thought and debate. Scruton, who was educated at Cambridge, has published more than 30 books. He frequently engages in political debates and is well known as a powerful polemicist.